Category Archives: Privatization

Tom Took On Cubs At 2013 Bughouse Square Debate

Lester+TomI was in the featured debate at the 2013 Bughouse Square Debate on Saturday, July 27 in front of the Newberry Library. The topic was “Should The City Subsidize The Cubs To Keep Them In Chicago?” My position was “NO WAY, NO HOW” side. On the other side was Lester Munson, reporter for ESPN.  The event was moderated by Chicago’s great natural resource, Rick Kogan.

Listen to the debate and the Q&A session (34 minutes).

Here are my notes for the debate. Use them if you have to argue against subsidizing sports facilities or other private enterprise using public dollars…
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4th Ward TIFs To Be Illuminated!

4th_Ward-flier-small It’s time to shed some light on the 11 TIFs inside the 4th Ward. Join us on Monday, May 13 at 6pm at Room 43 to learn:

– How much property tax is extracted from each TIF inside the ward

– How much money FROM the ward was left in the TIFs at the end of 2011

– What projects inside the ward got funded

You can get the details and RSVP here: http://tinyurl.com/TIF-Forum-May-13.

Pass The Privatization Transparency Ordinance

Privatization_Ordinance-coverIs your alderman on the list of sponsors of the Privatization Transparency Ordinance”? If so, call them and tell them to get it out of Alderman Mell’s committee and have voted on by the full City Council.

The sponsor is 6th Ward Alderman, Roderick Sawyer. He said, upon introducing this bill in November of 2012, “I do not believe that there are no good privatization deals, I just think we should be clear about which deals are in the best interest of the city and which are not.  I have a concern about touting a monetary savings if we haven’t thought about the people that will lose a job, the families that could lose a home and the local businesses that could lose a loyal customer. ”
Download the proposed law here  – Privatization Transparency and Accountability Ordinance. Read it for yourself.

If our City Council can’t pass this, they should all be fired in the 2015 municipal elections.

46th Ward Gets Illuminated April 11!

46th_Ward_Forum_flier Join us at The Peoples Church on April 11 at 7pm when we Illuminate the six TIFs inside the 46th Ward. If the last five TIF town meetings are any guides, then this meeting is going to ROCK! You can get the details and RSVP via Facebook @ http://tinyurl.com/TIF-Forum-April-11.

We invite to learn what TIFs are doing in YOUR community. TO schedule a TIF Illumination for your ward, email tom@civiclab.us.

8th & 9th Ward Double Illumination

April_6_TIF_Forum-smallJoin us at Chicago State University on Saturday, April 6. We will be Illuminating the many, many TIFs inside the 8th and 9th Wards. Details and RSVP at Facebook = http://tinyurl.com/TIF-Forum-April-6

The evolving schedule and documentation of past meetings is at http://tifreports.com/tif-town-meetings.

TIF Illumination On WVON March 23

Greenpreneuer TIF Illuminators Tom Tresser and Bea Jasper (organizer of the Englewood TIF Town Meeting) will be on “The GreenPreneur Show” on WVON on Saturday night, March 23, from 5-6pm. Listen live here. The call in number is 773-591-1690. Let’s talk TIFs on the South Side. Our next TIF Town Meeting is in South Shore on March 30. Connect with the TIF Illumination Project.

Privatization Deal Keeps On Giving (To Morgan Stanley)

AquaFrom the Chicago Sun-Times: “Chicago taxpayers have been hit with a $57.8 million ruling in favor of the private company that runs four city-owned, downtown parking garages — stuck with that bill because former Mayor Richard M. Daley’s administration mistakenly allowed a competing garage to open nearby, according to documents obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel has 90 business days to appeal the Feb. 25 decision by a panel of independent arbitrators regarding Chicago Loop Parking LLC’s claim that City Hall violated the terms of its 99-year garage-privatization deal by subsequently approving plans for a garage in the 82-story Aqua building, about a block from the company’s nearest garage.”